Panthers lose zip in 3-2 shootout loss to Devils

December 14, 2011|By Harvey Fialkov, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

SUNRISE — The last time the Florida Panthers faced their former coach Pete DeBoer and his Devils, iconic goalie Martin Brodeur said that Kris Versteeg, "took over the game,'' in sparking Florida's first-ever three-goal comeback in regulation.

This time, Versteeg started early with two goals, but it was the Devils charging from behind to a 3-2 shootout victory in a chippy game Tuesday at BankAtlantic Center for Florida's third defeat in a row (0-1-2).

Still, the Panthers owe Devils' forward Petr Sykora a thank-you card for at least one point when he missed the net on an absolute gimmee in the final seconds of regulation. The Panthers were outshot 5-1 in the third period, a season low.

"We were lucky to get one with a second left in the game we gave up a pretty good opportunity,'' said Panthers defenseman Ed Jovanovski. "We'll put the point in the bank but we know as a team we could be a lot better.''

Versteeg followed Tomas Fleischmann's miss in the shootout with a clunker that Brodeur easily saved, while Devils' stars Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias beat a game Jose Theodore, who bounced back admirably from his worst outing as a Panther in Sunday's 6-1 loss to the Rangers with 32 saves.

"We looked tired, we weren't moving our feet so not a great night for us,'' coach Kevin Dineen said. "It was like a game from the '80s there was so much interference out there. Tough sledding.''

New Jersey, winners of four of five, are 7-1 in shootouts, while Florida drops to 1-4. The Panthers are 4-0-2 in their last six home games and 4-1-5 in their last 10 home games, all decided by one goal.

About a dozen of the $5 rats sold for the first time at the concession stands hit the ice, but they were half-hearted tosses by disappointed fans at best.

The first-place Panthers had hoped to significanlty pad their Southeast Division lead with this seven of nine stretch at home against just four teams occupying playoff berths.

They did increase their lead over the Caps to seven, but that was no solace for getting outplayed and outshot 34-26. Elias, who called the Panthers a, "one-line' team  perhaps accurately  after their last meeting got an inadvertent assist from Versteeg when his attempt to clear the puck found Elias for a one-timer to slice Florida's lead to 2-1 at 8:25 of the second.

At 7:40 of the third period, center Zach Parise beat defenseman Brian Campbell to knock in a rebound for his 10th goal and a 2-2 tie.

The goal came just 56 seconds after Versteeg stripped the puck from defenseman Henrik Tallinder and completed the breakaway with a roofer over Brodeur. It was the Panthers' fourth shorthanded goal of the season and Versteeg's first (but ninth of his career).

In a tightly played first period, the Panthers put togther a puck-possession clinic in a 1:20 span with the seventh shot finding twine as Stephen Weiss picked off a pass from defenseman Adam Larsson at the faceoff circle.

He skated in and pulled off a Tim Hardaway-like crossover before slipping a pass to Versteeg, who deposited it into a vacated net at 15:10 for a 1-0 lead after one.

Versteeg now has 15 goals in 31 games, just seven off his career high accomplished over 78 games with Chicago in the 2008-09 season.

Gudbranson out; Santorelli returns

Rookie defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who scored his first NHL goal Sunday, sustained a charley horse injury and will be out for a couple of days.

Keaton Ellerby, a healthy scratch in 19 of 31 games, took his place.

Center Mike Santorelli, who was benched for the first time in his Panthers' career (played all 82 games last season) Sunday, returned.

Howden sustains another head injury

Panthers top prospect Quinton Howden sustained concussion-like symptoms during an intra-squad scrimmage with Team Canada in preparation for the upcoming World Juniors.

Panthers GM Dale Tallon was told it wasn't serious and said, "he'll be all right.''